Your Story #104: Vote now!

Prompt: Write the opening line to a story based on the photo prompt above. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.

Email your submission to yourstorycontest@aimmedia.com with the subject line “Your Story #104.” No attachments, please.

Unfortunately, we cannot respond to every entry we receive, due to volume. No confirmation emails will be sent out to confirm receipt of submission. But be assured all submissions received before entry deadline are considered carefully. Official Rules

Entry Deadline: CLOSED

Out of 250 entries, WD editors selected the following 14 finalists. Click the link to the poll at the bottom of the page to vote for your favorite entry. The top 10 winners will be published in the September/October 2020 issue of Writer's Digest.

1

Ian Richard’s sure-fire costume idea of being a talking head for Halloween fell a bit flat when it came to implementation.

2

Still onstage with the magician, I screamed for help, but the only sound that emerged from my mouth was static.

3

When Defbeijklas hijacked this human body, he thought it would be inconspicuous to wear the black and white box the humans stared so fondly at.

4

He wondered if the punishment fit the crime of excessive viewing.

5

David chose to be alone when he contacted Galactic headquarters, partially for operational security, but mainly because of how dorky he felt using the gear.

6

It was mom’s idea for me to dress as an extraterrestrial and have the police “capture” me at Nana’s nursing home after she started seeing aliens in the hallways at night—thanks Mom.

7

Tom had read that to properly repair a television set, you must understand how it works, inside out.

8

Everyone agreed that Jeff had the funniest costume at the party, but no one laughed when he could not get his head out to collect the $50 prize.

9

Derrick was sure he'd found the right hiding place where nobody would notice him: acting an extra in a long-lasting batteries commercial.

10

During the divorce proceedings I knew that Chris was serious about keeping the television, but I just didn't realize how serious.

11

The shattered cathode-ray tube currently lodged into my jugular vein keeps me both alive and dead, famous and infamous.

12

As an actor and voice talent, I looked a long time for an image that would fit with the motto on my business card, “TV or not TV?”

13

It was not the best hiding spot but it would have to do; fortunately Ronald had three semesters of improv and a misplaced remote control working in his favor.

14

There was nothing Mr. Grant wouldn’t do to get the attention of his students.

Cassandra Lipp is managing editor of Writer's Digest. She is the author of Queen City Records, which tells the stories behind the indie record shops of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Her work has appeared in Points in Case, Bystander Magazine, and Ohio's Best Emerging Poets 2019. Her hobbies include practicing modern dance and improv comedy. She is currently at work on her debut essay collection. Follow her on Twitter @Cassie000000.